Music

Yungblud has dropped a new single called “Fleabag.”

The grungy track will not only remind you of the acclaimed TV series starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, but also Kurt Cobain‘s yelps on Nirvana‘s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Heart-Shaped Box.”

“I wrote ‘Fleabag’ in a really dark time of my life, when a lot of people around me had an expectation about what I should be,” Yungblud explains. “To tell you the truth, it’s about being f***ing gutted about people judging me and trying to tear me down. I felt so alienated, I felt so alone.”

He continues, “This song is a kick back. A kick back against the world, a kick back against my friends, against my family and some of my fanbase. I am who I am, all I want to do is spread love and lead with my heart. I’ve always told people to be themselves, sometimes I have to remember that message myself.”

You can download “Fleabag” now via digital outlets.

“Fleabag” follows Yungblud’s sophomore album, Weird!, which dropped last December.

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After 6- and 7-year-old sisters were shot sitting in a car earlier this week in Chicago, one fatally, Lil Durk wants the violence to end in his hometown.

“This needs to change and ASAP,” the “Viral Moment” rapper said, according to My Mixtapez.com. “I be willing to help, but some higher power act like they just don’t care,” he added.

According to ABC Chicago affiliate WLS-TV, 250 kids have been shot in the city this year, with 32 losing their life.

As previously reported, Durk and his girlfriend, India Cox, were nearly victims of gunfire last month. Armed intruders attempted to break into their Braselton, Georgia home. The couple had guns to defend themselves and were involved in a shootout. Fortunately, they were not hurt.

Now the two-time Grammy nominee is looking forward to performing at the tenth anniversary of Jay-Z’s Made in America festival Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia. He’s also up for two MTV VMAs September 12 in New York City: Best Collaboration and Best Hip-Hop for “Laugh Now Cry Later,” with Drake.

Lil Durk speaks on the violence in Chicago 🗣 pic.twitter.com/e6EW5x4Zp3

— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) August 17, 2021

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Britney Spears is under investigation for alleged battery stemming from an altercation with an employee, according to Capt. Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

An employee filed a complaint after Spears allegedly struck them during a dispute on Monday morning, Buschow said, adding that the employee was not injured.

The sheriff’s office will forward their findings to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of misdemeanor charges. A source from the sheriff’s office added that this is a very minor case.

“This is overblown sensational tabloid fodder — nothing more than a ‘he said she said’ regarding a cell phone, with no striking and obviously no injury whatsoever,” Spears’ attorney, Mathew Rosengart, told ABC News. “Anyone can make an accusation but this should have been closed immediately.”

Recently, Spears, 39, has been focused on ousting her father, Jamie Spears, from the conservatorship that has governed her life since 2008. Last week, Jamie Spears filed court documents stating that he would be willing to resign as conservator of his daughter’s estate, even though he believes it is “highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms. [Britney] Spears’ best interests.”

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Blues Traveler‘s travels took a scary turn Thursday when the band’s tour bus was involved in a road accident.

According to a press release, the “Hook” rockers and their crew were stuck inside the bus after it crashed on the way to a show in Rochester, Minnesota. They were assisted by law enforcement and first-responders in safely exiting the vehicle, and were treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.

“This morning our tour bus went off the road and crossed the median,” Blues Traveler says in the statement. “Thankfully we are all safe and have only sustained minor injuries. Our sincere gratitude to the Winona, MN, Police Department and rescue crew for their help getting us safely off the highway and out of oncoming traffic.”

While the group is understandably “shaken,” they plan to still play Rochester this Friday, August 20, as scheduled.

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Kerry Washington has found a new inspiring project to get behind.

The Scandal star is working with Disney Branded Television to develop From the Desk of Zoe Washington, an original movie based on Janae Marks’ critically acclaimed book of the same name. Like the award-winning novel, the film will center on middle-schooler and aspiring pastry chef Zoe, a young girl who makes a connection with her incarcerated father. After he proclaims his innocence, Zoe “begins to learn about systemic racism” and works to “set her biological father free.” A release date for From the Desk of Zoe Washington has not been announced.

In other news, Starz has released the official trailer to their highly anticipated crime drama Black Mafia Family. As previously reported, the 50 Cent-produced series follows the real-life story of brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, who “rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980s and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in the country.” BMF premieres Sunday, September 26, at 9 p.m. ET. and stars Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr., Russell Hornsby, Snoop Dogg, La La Anthony and Serayah, among others.

Finally, Netflix has renewed Mindy Kaling‘s coming-of-age comedy Never Have I Ever for a third season. As previously noted, the series follows Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi, a 15-year-old Indian-American girl navigating the pressures of high school and her social status. A release date for the third season has yet to be announced.

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From her intimate single, “homecoming queen?,” to her forthcoming book of poetry, Kelsea Ballerini has been making it a point recently to be vulnerable and authentic in her art. But that hasn’t always come easily to her.

The singer admits to People, “I think it’s a journey. I think it’s always evolving. I have days where I feel insecure and days where it’s hard. I’m human.”

Kelsea also knows how important it can be for those in the public eye to be transparent about their insecurities and vulnerabilities with fans. As an example, Kelsea says she’s proud of pop superstar Lizzo, who has recently faced an onslaught of racist and sexist comments on social media, and opened up to her fans about how hurt she was by the messages. 

“When someone, especially with Lizzo’s platform, is able to say, ‘I’m human and even though I try to put my most confident self forward..As a public figure, this hurts my feelings.’…I think when someone at that level is able to do that, it normalizes it,” Kelsea explains.

“It helps every person that’s at home crying because some troll on the Internet told them they looked bad in whatever form or fashion. It makes them go, ‘It’s not just me. I’m not alone,’” the singer continues. 

Most recently, Kelsea celebrated her journey to self-love in partnership with clothing brand Aerie as part of their #AerieReal campaign, which seeks to empower people to celebrate what they love about themselves. 

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After making history Monday as “Blinding Lights” set the all-time record for most weeks spent on the Billboard Hot 100, a total of 88, The Weeknd celebrated Wednesday by debuting one of his early music projects on streaming services.

The three-time Grammy winner released his second mixtape, 2011’s Thursday, in honor of its 10th anniversary. The nine-song project features his longtime friend Drake on the only single, “The Zone.” That same year, they also collaborated on five tracks on Drake’s RIAA-certified six-times Platinum 2011 Take Care album, including the single “Crew Love,” co-written by The Weeknd.

As previously reported, the 31-year-old singer is featured on Kanye West’s upcoming DONDA album, and “Save Your Tears” is up for Video of the Year at the MTV VMAs, happening September 12 in New York City.

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Fans can now officially start counting down the days until they can see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill together on the small screen.

The pair are co-starring in 1883, the prequel to the Yellowstone TV series, which will premiere on December 19 on Paramount+. In addition to Tim and Faith, the cast features Sam Elliott and a number of other yet-to-be-announced actors. 

Yellowstone returns November 7 on the Paramount Network, and another series that takes place in the same universe, Mayor of Kingstown, launches November 14 on Paramount+. 

Tim and Faith’s involvement in 1883 was first announced early this month. At the time, it was revealed that the country star couple will play James and Margaret Dutton, the “patriarch and matriarch” of the family. 

“This is truly a dream job,” Tim said. “[Show creator] Taylor [Sheridan] has found a way of storytelling that brilliantly creates these epic dramas and family sagas with so much depth and creativity.  The Duttons are tremendous characters and it’s so thrilling to be able to bring them to life.”

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